A bylaw compliance officer in downtown Vernon (Liam Verster/Vernon Matters Staff)

By Liam Verster

7% Increase in Calls

Vernon bylaw responded to 5,700 calls for service last year

Feb 27, 2023 | 1:30 PM

Bylaw compliance investigators in Vernon responded to more calls for service last year.

An annual summary of bylaw operations, to be presented to Vernon city council, stated 2022 saw an increase of seven per cent in calls for service, climbing to 5,727 from the previous year’s 5,354.

The report stated the main factors in the increased calls involved parks and public places files and the Street Entrenched Population Target Analysis (SEPTA).

Parks files rose 21 per cent annually from 2,055 in 2021 to 2,491 in 2022, while SEPTA files increased 32 per cent from 1,491 to 1,960.

A majority of the infractions relating to SEPTA files had to deal with parks and public places uses at 1,804; followed by good neighbour files at 116; then traffic files, of which there were 18.

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A breakdown of SEPTA files Vernon bylaw responded to in 2022 (graphic courtesy of the City of Vernon)

The report said a total of 728 bylaw calls for service came from within the Business Improvement Area (BIA/downtown core), marking a 14.8 per cent increase from the previous year’s 624 calls from the same area.

A breakdown of BIA files showed traffic issues had the highest volume at 149; followed by prohibited use of City of Vernon facilities and parks at 120; substance related files, such as those involving drugs, alcohol and sharps, at 111; then temporary shelters at 65.

A breakdown of BIA files Vernon bylaw responded to in 2022 (graphic courtesy of the City of Vernon)

Additionally, the report stated 2,491 files were related to parks and public places.

The data noted the majority of files had to do with temporary shelters at 1,171; followed by substance related cases at 464; then miscellaneous calls, such as found property or prohibited use, at 352 files.

A breakdown of parks and public places files Vernon bylaw responded to in 2022 (Image courtesy of the City of Vernon)

A total of 359 calls came from members of the public in 2022, marking a 7.5 per cent decrease from 2021’s 388 public reports.

Bylaw-generated files rose 55.8 per cent annually to 307, Vernon staff-generated calls increased 25.6 per cent to 49, and RCMP transfer calls increased 30 per cent to 13 in 2022.

The report, from Darren Lees, protective services manager, stated the increase in overall files may be linked to the continued presence of Bylaw Compliance and the RCMP Downtown Enforcement Unit in the downtown core and adjacent parks, noting officers patrol the area seven days a week until midnight between April 15 and Nov. 1, and every day until 10 p.m. in the winter months.

Though total figures were up from 2021, the report noted that figure was the lowest in the last five years, adding the 2022 file volume was the fourth lowest.

The highest call volume provided in the report was 6,774 in 2019, followed by 6,148 in 2020 and 6,102 in 2018.

The report will be presented to Vernon city council for information at the regular meeting Feb. 27.